


Teenhood Friends

by Cosmic_Orchaid



Series: msbluebell's Fire Emblem: Three Houses AUs [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, Hunters & Hunting, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 16:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21057749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmic_Orchaid/pseuds/Cosmic_Orchaid
Summary: Byleth went into the forest; looking animals for dinner. She did not expect a moose to charge out of the forest. She did not expect a body to burst out of the forest, screaming his head off.





	Teenhood Friends

**Author's Note:**

> This story belongs to msbluebell. I am just posting this on Ao3 and editing it. Link to original:https://msbluebell.tumblr.com/tagged/Teenhood-Friends-AU

Jeralt’s Mercenary Company is currently in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus for a job. Due to the long time it took to complete the job, they are currently camping out in the woods. Byleth volunteered to go hunt some wild game. Jeralt was reluctant and wanted her to be accompanied by a hunting party, however, the other mercenaries convinced him that she is old enough to do it all by herself. 

Since the climate is extreme cold and thick forests, Faerghus is infamous for many dangerous animals. Boars, moose, wolves big as horses, snow lions that can blend into the white background during the winters. 

Byleth isn’t worried though; she didn’t go too far into the woods, she has a weapon, and if something happens, she can call the mercenaries. She didn’t expect anything to go wrong, though.

She didn’t expect to see a boy being chased by a moose either.

She hasn’t found prey yet when she hears a large snap, like a branch being broken. Then a cry of a moose that is followed by a panicked scream. Suddenly, there’s a boy breaking through the tree line, screaming, with a moose on his trail. He sees her and shouts at her to run, motioning for her to move before the beast catches them.

The thing about moose is that they’re big. Larger than horses, twice as mean, and with antlers that could skewer a man easily. If Byleth could’ve felt emotions, she would have panicked and ran like what the boy had told her to do.

She doesn’t.

Instead, she raises her bow and shoots an arrow straight between the breasts. Only moving out of the way when her arrow strikes; letting it hit a thick tree before the moose finally stops moving.

All is quiet for a moment. The boy has stopped running; his breathing heavy. He’s watching; wide eyed. Byleth doesn’t say anything; she just moves to skin the animal for her party.

After a moment, the boy moves forward, tentatively, and thanked her for her help.

He explains that he’s from a noble family of this land. 

(”My name is…Dima…I’m a noble from the capital’”) 

Dima was somehow separated from his hunting party while bonding with his uncle two days ago. He had some experience hunting, so he was trying to make his way back to the road and follow it towards the capital, when he accidentally ran afoul with that moose.

Byleth studies the boy. He’s wearing clothing expected of Faerghus nobility. They’re ripped, and tattered, but it’s easy to see the blue clothes used to be fine and embroidered, with fine fur lining. She can’t find an emblem or insignia, but she has no reason to disbelieve him.

He looks hopeful; then asks if she’s heading to the capital, and if so, maybe they could go together. It’s a long walk, after all, and it would be less lonely if they’re together.

Byleth explains that she’s with her father and his mercenaries, but they are heading towards the capital, and she doesn’t see any reason why he can’t ask for permission to come along. It’s a few days walk to the capital on foot and it seems more practical to let him come along.

The boy looks even more hopeful at the suggestion and moves to help Byleth with the moose.

He’s…very strong for someone his age and stature. He could lift up the whole body by himself. This gives Byleth pause, but she doesn’t say anything and simply leads the boy back to her company.

Her father is very concerned about the random boy with unbelievable strength. He questions the boy thoroughly, about why he was out there, how he got lost, and how he ended up here; anything he can think of until he runs out of things to ask. Dima is nothing but patient, honest, and unfailingly polite the entire exchange, and Jeralt can find no reason to not let the boy tag along. 

Dima sticks by her side during the trip, trying to make a simple conversation with her. It’s logical, she thinks as she’s the closest in age to him, and he first met her so he gravitates towards her. Byleth answers questions to the best of her ability, but she has never been the best conversationalist. Dima doesn’t seem to mind, though, which is different to the unnerving reaction most have when talking to her. She thinks he is a little unnerved, but is too polite so he hides it. Still, he seems to want to speak with her the most despite it, so he’s her constant company those next few days.

Dimitri, for his part, knows better than to trust a group of strangers with his identity. He’s the prince, after all, and he’s learned the hard way that people want his head. He has nightmares about it. But still…he’s a young boy, and this is the first girl he’s talked to. 

(Well... a girl that’s not Ingrid or a noble’s daughter trying to marry him) 

Besides, she’s very pretty, even if she doesn’t smile or make an expression. She’s still impressive though, and he’s grateful that she saved his life.

They fall into an easy companionship over those few days. Byleth doesn’t talk much, but Dima seems to think that just means she’s a good listener. He talks a bit, tells her recollections about some friends of his, and how he has a friend that’s quite like her, named Dedue, who is probably very worried about him. Dedue wasn’t allowed on this trip. It was just he, his uncle, and a few guards. His uncle, he explains, will probably be angry that he was separated and went off by himself. She listens, occasionally speaking to remind him she’s listening, and gives the occasional observation. 

Sometimes her father glaces back and looks almost happy. Because she doesn’t normally speak to people within her own age range, Jeralt was worried she would be stunted in her growth, or at the least, her social skills. He’s proud of his girl. Even if it is with a boy.

“Thank you for listening.” Dima says the day before they arrive to the capital. He’s red cheeked, and playing with something in his hands.

“I don’t…my uncle doesn’t let me out of…our home…often. It’s usually just me and Dedue, so I don’t have many friends. I’m glad…I’m glad to have met you.”

Byleth nods and hums in agreement. She thinks she has made her first friend.

He hands her the thing he has been playing with. It’s a type of flat stone with a rune carved into the side. It’s a simple thing, the type anyone would have, but he looks so earnest when he hands it to her. He asks her to remember him with this stone, and she promises she will.

The next day, upon walking up to the capital’s gates, the guards start immediately yelling that Prince Dimitri has returned. 

It was chaos. 

Bells were ringing; guards flooded the gate. A man with dark hair flies through the crowd and swoops up Dima…Dimitri, in a giant hug and rocks him back and forth like he’ll never let go again. There’s a dark skinned boy tall as she is that races forward and starts fussing. Dimitri is gone before her father even gets a word in.

They’re escorted to the palace, where the King Regent, a stern looking man that looks like he’s never stopped frowning in his life, personally gives them a reward for returning Dimitri safe and sound. He gives them a few bags of gold and tells them to be out of the city by nightfall.

Byleth doesn’t think she’ll ever see Dima…Dimitri…again, but she keeps the rune anyway.

A few years later, she wakes up from a dream about a war and a girl on a throne to a bandit attack. As Byleth exits the inn she was staying in, she sees a familiar face running for his life once again.


End file.
